Doc Filmmakers Debate Growing Use of AI in Non-Fiction Projects: ‘We Are Supposed to Be the Truth’

variety.com:

Addie Morfoot Contributor Writers and actors aren’t the only people in Hollywood grappling with the impact generative artificial intelligence will have on the entertainment industry.

Documentarians are also concerned about AI and what it means for the ethical standards and practices of nonfiction filmmaking.

Many have used AI to transcribe interviews the past few years and in recent months generative-AI models including ChatGPT and Midjourney have helped docu assistant editors create spreadsheets and visual placeholders as well as extract and catalogue metadata.

But recent advancements in AI, such as the ability to generate fake photographs and only needing three seconds of someone’s voice to create synthesized audio of that person saying anything, have filmmakers like Dawn Porter (“The ‘Lady Bird Diaries”) worried. “We are supposed to be the truth, and it might be the truth as we see it, but we are also supposed to be transparent,” says Porter. “I’m very nervous that people are not going to be transparent about what techniques they are using and why.” In 2021 Morgan Neville came under fire for not disclosing that he used artificial intelligence to create three quotes with Anthony Bourdain’s voice in “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.” Neville’s filmmaking morals were called into question, as were the ethical boundaries of the entire docu community.